Mixed Mentoring
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: On Career Day at Royal Prep, Vivian is paired with Cedric, who is more than willing to teach his temporary charge everything he knows about magic.


Mixed Mentoring

Summary: On Career Day at Royal Prep, Vivian is paired with Cedric, who is more than willing to teach his temporary charge everything he knows about magic.

Disclaimer: I do not own the show.

A/N: Okay, I'm writing this story for two reasons. One, I absolutely love Vivian! Two, Cedric needs to get out of the castle. Lol. So I figured, why not have these two work together for a change? They get along well in other episodes, so I know they'll get along well yet again (plus I've written for both of them together before, but that's been quite a while ago, so it's time for an update). ;) Enjoy!

PS: Brief mention of one of my original characters in here. A few of you may recognize him. ;)

*Story*

"Class," Miss Flora announced, getting her students' attention as their clamoring ceased and their focus turned to her. As they were in the gymnasium for once due to the very nature of the day's events, she was surprised it took little encouraging to garner their responsiveness. "Today, as you know, is Career Day here at Royal Prep. You're advised and encouraged to visit as many professionals as possible, and soon enough I'm actually going to pair you all with one of the professionals so you can get a first-hand look at what a day in that particular job is truly like."

"Whoa, cool!" James enthused as he leaned toward Sofia. "I hope I'm paired up with a professional knight. That would be awesome!" He grinned. "Who do you want to be paired with, Sofia?"

"Cedric, naturally," Amber responded before her sister could say anything. She smiled knowingly as her younger sister gave her a sarcastic look. "Just saying. He's here, after all, only because you pleaded with him to step in when Baileywick got sick."

Sofia just laughed. "While I wouldn't mind being paired with Mr. Cedric, I know all about his profession… It would be beneficial for me to get a different perspective."

"Meanwhile, she's secretly hoping she gets paired with him anyway so she can learn how to fast forward time or something," James whispered dramatically to both girls, who rolled their eyes.

Sofia turned to Vivian, who had seemed a bit quieter than usual. "Vivian, you okay?"

The dark-haired girl seemed a bit startled when she heard her friend's voice, but then she smiled calmly. "I'm fine, Sofia. Just a little tired, I guess."

The other princess blinked, obviously not completely convinced, but she let it go. Vivian was a little private sometimes, and she respected that.

Soon enough, the students were allowed to visit with all of the professionals. There were bakers, blacksmiths, knights, butlers, wizards, witches, professional toy makers, seamstresses, and so many others. Amber found herself conversing with a professional astronomer while James did indeed speak with a skilled knight. Sofia led Vivian along, and they spoke with just about everyone out of courtesy, but she saved the best for last…

"Hi, Mr. Cedric," Sofia greeted with a cheery smile, getting his attention as one of the princes who had been talking with him left to see someone else.

"Sofia, Princess Vivian," Cedric said as the girls approached him. "Discover anyone interesting?"

" _Everyone_ is interesting in his or her own way." Sofia giggled when he gave her a look.

"Spoken like a true diplomat." He chuckled. "Surprisingly enough, I've had quite a few students come talk to me. I wasn't quite expecting that… Granted, I highly doubt royals of such caliber will be interested in being professional wizards when they grow up."

" _This_ royal likes magic," the auburn-haired girl reminded him with a smile. "So don't be too sure. People may surprise you, Mr. Cedric."

He smiled and nodded. "Indeed."

"Boys and girls, could I have your attention please?" Miss Flora smiled as the children turned to face her. "I believe this visit has been quite a success, and now I'd like to pair each of you up with one of our esteemed professionals." She pulled out her list. "Sofia, you'll be paired with Mr. Birdsong, the owner and operator of the Raven Haven."

Sofia beamed as the dark-complexioned man waved at her. "Oh, I remember him!" She smiled toward Cedric, who nodded and wished her well; she bid them both goodbye for now and took off to meet with her partner.

"Amber, you'll be with Miss Misty from the Stars Aligned Club."

Amber squealed in excitement. She'd talked to the astronomer longer than anyone, so she was pleased to spend more time with the woman and find out more about the topic she'd grown so interested in.

"James, you and Sir Eli of the knight camp will be paired together."

"Brilliant!" the blonde boy enthused as he rushed to meet his partner.

Several other pairings passed (Hildegard with a seamstress, Clio with a professional actor, Zandar with a fisherman, Khalid with a butler, and so on) until Miss Flora finally reached Vivian.

"Vivian, you and Cedric, the Royal Sorcerer of Enchancia, will be partners for today."

"We will?" Cedric asked in surprise as he glanced down at the dark-haired girl. "Well, Princess Vivian, I suppose we have much to discuss."

She just smiled shyly and nodded before following him into the corridor. "What exactly did you have in mind, Mr. Cedric?" she asked quietly. She wasn't nearly as shy as she used to be, but she did still feel sort of awkward speaking to people with whom she wasn't overly familiar. Of course, she'd met Cedric on a few occasions in the past and thought he was a great sorcerer and person in general, but that ever-present sense of uncertainty still tended to linger in her mind.

"Well, you recall our last time we worked on magic together, yes?" He produced a spare wand and handed it to the girl. "Let's try a spell with which you should be _very_ familiar." He aimed his wand and called out his command: " _Disappearo_!" He smirked as one of the portraits disappeared from the wall. "Now you try."

"Uh, shouldn't you put that back?" She looked around nervously. "If the Royal Prep teachers find out you've ' _disappearo-ed_ ' one of their portraits, they're not going to be too happy."

"Relax. I'll put it back when we're through practicing. Go on then. You give it a go." He pointed toward another portrait. "Try that one."

She nodded hesitantly before calling out confidently, " _Disappearo_!" She couldn't help grinning when she realized she'd successfully spoken the spell. "I did it!"

"Yes, you did." He gave her a proud smile before reinstating the portraits. "Now, would you like to try the _Bounciglius_ spell? I know that's the other one you're acquainted with."

"Well, I'd rather not break anything in here, to be honest with you… Maybe we could try something a little less…destructive?"

Cedric pretended to pout as he folded his arms. "But I'm so good at destroying things, Princess Vivian." He grinned as she laughed. "Of course I jest…most of the time. Honestly, the few times I've literally destroyed something, I didn't mean to. Yet again, it's all a part of learning, I'm afraid." He shrugged as she nodded. "I have something rather calm compared to other spells I've used or taught Sofia. For instance." He gently lifted her hand with her temporary wand and smiled as she frowned in confusion. "Repeat after me: _Cardium Constructo_."

She raised her eyebrows at his request but just decided to go along with it. " _Cardium Constructo_." She flicked her wand once and gasped when a house of cards appeared on the floor before them. "I did it?" She grinned. "I did it! Mr. Cedric, I did it!"

He laughed. "Yes, I see! Very well done, Princess." He waved his own wand, clearing the hall of the card house. "Would you like to try another one?" Seeing her anxious nod, he told her, "I think you'll like this one. Wave your wand and say _Cookieossity_." He smirked when she gave him a curious stare. "Trust me. You'll enjoy this."

"Okay… _Cookieossity_!" All of a sudden, a plate of cookies fell from the sky and into Cedric's awaiting hands. "Oh, wow! Dinner _and_ a show, huh?"

"You sounded _just_ like Sofia when you said that." He chuckled and handed her one of the cookies. "I'm impressed, Princess Vivian. If you keep practicing and studying, you'll be well-versed in magic in no time. You could even train to be a sorceress yourself if you'd like."

Vivian smiled shyly before shaking her head. "I appreciate it, Mr. Cedric, but I have a few dreams of my own…" Seeing she had his attention, she explained, "I mean, of course I'll always be a princess, but I'm also a musician. I want to practice my music and make people happy when they hear it. I play the mandolin, and that's my true talent. It's what makes _me_ happy."

Cedric smiled fondly. "That's wonderful, Vivian. I'm sure in a very short period of time, you'll be one of the best musicians Royal Prep has ever seen."

She giggled and nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric. You know, it's funny… When I first met you, I seriously thought you were going to be mean for some reason."

He blinked. "Mean? Why do you say that?"

"Well… You seemed really standoffish and didn't really seem to want to be involved with the class that much." She smiled slowly as he tilted his head. "But then I realized…you and I aren't that different, really. It took Sofia to pull me out of my shell and help me not be so shy. Everyone else just assumed I was stuck up or whatever else they believed before she helped me."

He laughed softly. "Well, then… It seems you and I actually have even more in common, really. Let's just say you weren't too far off on your original analysis." He handed her the plate of cookies as he folded his arms. "I used to be quite an irritable recluse. I didn't like people. I couldn't perform magic well the _first_ time to save my life. And I certainly didn't believe that anyone would see the best in me." He shrugged with an accepting smile. "And then Sofia came along…"

Vivian sighed with a content look. "Seems like Sofia always brings out the best in us loners, huh?"

"It would seem so." He looked up as he heard the bell ringing. "Oh… I believe that's our cue to reunite with the others." Using his wand, he made the plate of cookies vanish. "Shall we?"

"Yes." Vivian walked alongside Cedric as they reentered the gymnasium for their final words.

"Thank you, everyone, for your participation in our Career Day. Thank you, professionals, for taking time out of your busy schedules to either teach or inform our students. We appreciate you so much. And children, because today was such a success, you'll be receiving a reward tomorrow: a free day with snacks and stories, and no weekend homework."

"Whoo, yeah!" James cheered loudly above the others. "That's what I'm…talking…about?" He settled down when he saw the other kids were snickering at him, and he grinned sheepishly when his twin nudged him. "What? I'm happy!"

"Thanks for spending some time with me today, Mr. Cedric," Vivian told the sorcerer as Miss Flora dismissed them all. "I had a great time, and I really learned a lot."

He nodded and bowed slightly as she curtsied. "As did I, Princess Vivian. I look forward to hearing your music when you are ready to perform for an audience."

She grinned. "You'll be one of the first ones I invite. Goodbye!" She waved as she turned and caught up with Amber, who'd been beckoning her over.

Cedric sighed softly before feeling a familiar pair of arms encircling him in a hug. He smiled down at his apprentice and briefly returned the hug before chuckling as she grabbed his hand, guiding him toward the exit. "So, what did you learn from Mr. Birdsong?"

"The Raven Haven is thriving, and get this! It's mostly thanks to Wormwood!"

"I'll enjoy teasing him for that later, but that's actually really great to hear. And what of that, Sofia? Do you plan on being a vet or anything like that when you're older?"

"While that would be neat, I have other goals in mind… Of course I'm a princess and always will be, but I want adventure. I want to travel and see the world. I want to keep practicing magic, with _you_ of course…" She grinned as he smiled proudly. "I want to be a positive role model for kids younger than me; and above all else I want to ensure that everyone is happy and safe."

"You've got quite a lot of dreams, Sofia." He squeezed her hand gently, getting her full attention as they walked. "And if you can free Princess Elena from your amulet, reform a hoard of ill-intentioned people (including myself), and pick up literally any spell or otherwise that's hurled at you, I believe you can do or be just about anything."

She beamed. "You really believe that?"

"I don't say things I don't mean, my dear." He winked as she giggled.

"So, did you and Vivian have a good time?"

"We did, actually. Turns out the princess and I have a lot in common."

She nodded. "You do, actually. I'm glad you saw that. Vivian's a great friend; she's just really unsure and shy sometimes, and she underestimates herself." She smiled as she nudged him while they approached the flying coach where Amber and James were already seated. "Kind of like another certain someone I know."

"I know. I keep telling Wormy he's got _so_ much potential." He smirked as she laughed at his joke. "I hear what you're saying. Thank you, Sofia. And I also feel I should thank you for being a good friend to Vivian. I've been where she has been in the past, and it's a lonely life to live if someone doesn't step in and interfere in a positive manner. She's lucky she has you, and so am I."

Sofia laughed softly. "I'm the lucky one… You guys mean the world to me; I've got the best friends a girl could ever ask for."

"If you two are done with your inspirational monologue," Amber began with obvious amused sarcasm, "the coach is ready to go home already. And so are we."

Sofia grinned sheepishly as she and Cedric both entered the coach together. "Sorry, Amber. We were having a heart-to-heart."

"Yeah, still not used to that," James joked with a laugh.

The flying coach took off for Enchancia. Meanwhile, back at Royal Prep, Vivian sat in her own coach, waiting to return to her home. Thinking of Cedric's previous words, she smiled and pulled out her mandolin, plucking a few strings.

" _I look forward to hearing your music when you are ready to perform for an audience."_

She giggled softly as her fingers danced over the strings, plucking a melodic tune as the breeze picked up and her coach finally headed toward her own home. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

The end


End file.
